Welcome Home, Marine
by backstagespotlight
Summary: Fifth in the Home, Sweet Home AU. The Messer kids are all grown up and beginning lives of their own. Fina has a secret but will it be too much for her? Dantana First chapter is a little long. Bear with me. I don't own them.
1. Chapter 1

Fina Messer woke to the 5 am news report on the radio. She rolled over and stretched before pulling herself to her feet. She grabbed her running shorts and sports top from the foot of her bed and pulled them on. She scraped her light brown curls back into a ponytail, and placed a kiss on her fingertips before reverently touching the photograph of a soldier taped to the mirror. She ate a quick breakfast bar on her way out the door with her gym bag. It was a nice enough day that Fina decided to jumpstart her workout by jogging the ten blocks to the gym connected to the New York FBI field office. She took it at a decent pace and arrived hardly breaking a sweat. A familiar face greeted her as she ran up.

"If it isn't my kid sister the Fed," Gio teased. He rose from his placed against the hood of his dark blue sedan and gave her a loving punch on the arm.

"And my big brother the scientist, huh?" she jibed back, "What brings you out this way?"

"Thought I'd see if I can still outrun you," he shrugged, "And maybe loser pays for breakfast?"

Fina felt she was up for the challenge. They ran the track together, neck and neck to the end when Gio's longer legs and fresher start came to his advantage.

"So, let's do breakfast," he said, panting. Fina nodded, then caught a whiff of herself.

"Showers first," she insisted, "Be back here in fifteen minutes." They agreed and the plan was set. Both showered and dressed for work, Fina in a black pantsuit and white blouse; Gio in khaki slacks and a button down shirt. Fina carefully dried her hair then strapped on her holster and clipped her pager onto the belt as well.

"Where are we going for breakfast?" Fina asked.

"Joey's," Gio said, naming a café at the halfway point between his Crime Lab and her field office. She agreed it was a good choice and hopped in the passenger seat of his car. The drive was silent, but Fina could tell that something was eating at her brother. He tapped the steering wheel with a nervous rhythm and his knee quivered. It was behavior which was out of place for the tall, dark and quite handsome CSI, who was known to posses and even temper, making him invaluable in a career path traditionally known for its emotional followers. The behavior only worsened as they reached the café and sat down.

Half an hour later their waitress delivered the plates; strawberry pancakes for Fina and a stuffed omelet for Gio. They began eating, but soon, Gio put his fork down and turned to her.

"What do you hear from Micah these days?" he asked. Fina froze for a moment, then lightened up her expression so he wouldn't be suspicious. There was no way he'd found those documents. And even less of a chance that Micah had said anything.

"Got a letter from him about a week ago," she answered of their Marine friend, currently on active duty, "He's alive, craving peanut butter and root beer, not together of course. Why?" Gio pulled out a sheet of paper. It was covered front and back with a very familiar scrawl.

"I got this yesterday," he said, "Micah's unit lost two of their members and he seemed to be a little mellow and introspective. This is the part that really confuses me," Gio search for a specific passage and began to read, "The one thing in my life I will never regret is loving Fina. That's right Gio, I am truly in love with your sister. If anything happens to me, make sure you let her know how happy she has made me. And help her move on," at this point Gio looked up into his sister's face, "Fi," he asked, "Is there something between you and Micah that no one in our nosy, law enforcement family has caught wind of?" The tinge of pink in her cheeks was enough to convince him he was right.

"My kid sister has a boyfriend!" he exclaimed, "When did it happen?"

"The day before he left, we spent the day together in the city," Fina pulled a photograph from the breast pocket of her jacket. She handed it to him. It was a picture of her and Micah on a bridge in Central Park. It had been her day off, so she was dressed casually in dark denim jeans and a red tank top, her hair flowing around her shoulders. Micah stood behind her in a camouflage t-shirt and khakis, his arms around her waist.

"You look happy," Gio commented, handing the photo back. Fina nodded and wistfully studied the photograph before placing it back in her pocket.

"He's a good man," Fina said.

"You don't have to convince me," the older brother laughed, "Besides, it's not like you guys eloped or anything." Fina laughed. This she could handle.

"OK, so I don't get to defend my boyfriend like any other kid sister because I'm dating your best friend, I get it," she said, raising her hands in surrender. Suddenly, two pagers went off in unison.

"Mine," both said, as they reached for their phones. The conversations were short, but they were both being called in to work.

"I'll run you past the office," Gio offered, "It's on the way to my scene." Fina agreed to the deal and picked up the bill as per their running agreement. She whispered a silent prayer of thanks at having successfully dodged that bullet.

--

"Johannes!" Capitan Ryan called from across the room, "We've got a missing two year old. Take the rookie with you." Fina looked up. She'd been on the squad for almost two years, but she was still considered the rookie. Agent Megan Johannes was a new transfer from Chicago with nearly ten years under her belt. She'd been acting a bit superior, so she'd been moved from partner to partner. Fina crossed the room at the Capitan's insistence.

"Shut the door, Messer," he said. Fina complied.

"You'll be working with the NYPD. See if you can't take Johannes down a couple of notches," he said. He shuffled through folders on his desk for a moment before taking a seat. Fina could tell that he considered her and this assignment his last hope before he was forced to reassign Johannes.

"I do and you stop calling me 'Rookie'?" she asked. It was a risky move, but she took advantage of the desperation she could sense on him.

"We'll see," he said. He extended the case folder to her, "You're primary on this one. Make us proud." Fina felt her heart begin to race. This was her first major case as primary lead. It was a great honor.

"Yes, sir," she said.

--

Agent Johannes insisted on driving to the scene herself. Fina decided that, as long as they got to the crime scene, she wouldn't die on that hill. They pulled up to the scene and Fina smiled to herself at the sight of Flack interviewing the crowd.

"Listen, Rookie," Johannes said, "Follow my lead on this one." Fina decided it was time to draw the line. She locked eyes with her new partner.

"I'll let you lead for a while, but Capitan put me on the lead, so at any time, if I don't like the way the investigation is going, I'm taking over," she stated, trying not to sound nervous. They stepped from the car and strode over to the tape, Fina half a step behind.

"Whose scene?" Johannes asked, flashing her badge and ducking under the tape. Fina followed.

"Mine," the salt and pepper detective called out, "Detective Don Flack, NYPD."

"Agent Johannes, my partner, Agent Messer, FBI missing persons." Johannes said, stepping in front of Fina and flashing her badge again, "What do we know?" Her tone was harsh and demanding, her stature that of a fighter, waiting to attack. Fina could have sworn she saw her uncle get defensive.

"Our DOA is Kelly Richardson, 23. She's the mother's younger sister. Mom and Dad were celebrating their anniversary. They came home to her on the floor and a missing three year old," Flack handed over a photo of a smiling little boy with a blond bowl cut, "Sammy, his birthday was two weeks ago. That's when the photo was taken." Johannes took a brief look at the photo before handing it off. Fina studied it very closely. The boy was cute, with pink tinged cheeks and sparkling green eyes.

"We need full access to all of your lab reports and interviews," Johannes snapped, turning to go toward the house. Fina hung back to apologize to Flack. She felt relieved when he smiled at her.

"She's a live one," he commented. Johannes was at least Fina's fifth partner since the academy.

"Yeah, they want me to quote, 'Bring her down a couple notches.' And that was a direct order," Fina laughed, "By the way, I'm the lead on this one, so anything passes through me." It was as much of a shock to him as it had been to her. Flack reacted by slapping her on the shoulder, like he would his son.

"Congratulations, Fina Mac!" he looked up toward the house. " You'd better go rescue your partner before Hurricane Stella drowns her," Flack said, pointing to the front porch where her partner was toe to toe with the CSI supervisor. The two women were arguing heatedly and gesturing wildly.

"Right," Fina said. She strode to the porch.

"What seems to be the problem?" she asked. Neither woman turned to look at her. Instead, like a pair of teenagers they spoke to each other under the cover of speaking to her.

"There is a 23 year old woman in there who deserves some care," Stella bit out.

"And we need to examine this crime scene if we're going to get inside this guy's head," Johannes bit back.

"Not until CSI is done," Stella bickered. Fina held up her hands to quiet them.

"Agent Johannes, I warned you that if I did not approve of the direction this investigation was going I would take over." Fina said, "I didn't expect it to happen so soon. That said," she paused, "Stella, sorry, Detective Bonasera, you know that she's right. Time is of the essence in any kidnapping case." Her words were soft and even toned, proof of her brief stint in training as a hostage negotiator. She'd shown natural talent for the job, had even considered pursuing it as a career, but had settled with her passion. The older women both seemed shocked by Fina's strong demeanor, the agent because she was a rookie and Stella because Fina had never stood up to her before. The Greek CSI stepped back and took a deep breath, pressing her hands together in front of her face.

"Agents," Stella said, "as much as I understand your need to see this crime scene, you have to understand, the blood pools are extensive. My CSI's are using step pads to process. Makes for a tight scene."

"What about a video feed?" Fina offered, "Or real time access to the crime scene photos?" Johannes seemed disgusted at the idea of compromising, but Stella agreed it. Fina radioed to the tech unit and Stella pulled Gio from processing to gear up.

"If it were anyone but you, I would not be doing this," he complained, as the camera was strapped on to his head. It wasn't a heavy piece of machinery, but a nuisance none the less.

"You would too, you big whiner," Fina joked back. She opened the laptop computer and booted up the program. She put on a communications headset so they could talk things out.

"Ready?" she asked. Gio answered in the affirmative. He walked back into the crime scene. The image wobbled as he moved from step pad to step pad. At one point he almost fell.

"My extra eye is making me top heavy," he jokingly complained.

"Yeah," Fina shot back, "I shoulda thought of that, what with your big Italian head and all."

"You got no room to talk," Gio teased. For the siblings, this bickering was a refreshing release of the tension which surrounded the house.

"Children," Flack interrupted, "Do I need to get your mother?"

"No, Uncle Flack," the pair recited in unison. By this time Gio was in the actual crime scene, and all trace of levity disappeared.

Stella had not been lying about the blood. It was everywhere. All four walls showed cast off and the carpet was red.

"First thing that comes to mind is passion," Fina said in a shocked almost whisper.

"I'm not sure one person could do all this," Gio said, "Why is there cast off on all of these walls?"

"And did all that blood come from one person? Eventually the body runs out," Fina said.

"Let us worry about that," Gio replied, "What about Sammy?"

"The perp made no effort to clean up his murder, so if he killed Sammy he'd probably do the same thing. This is a passionate man; he probably thinks he's doing something for Sammy's good. Is there still no ransom?"

"Not yet," Gio said, "We should check into the sister's past, see if she made anyone angry. The parents too, probably."

"I'll get my partner on that," Fina said. She motioned to Johannes, who did not look happy to be on the receiving end of such an order. She stalked off to make the phone calls. After she made the calls she quite literally ran into Flack.

"Agent Johannes," he said, "You seem annoyed."

"Yeah," she said, "I have to follow a rookie's lead."

"You know," Flack said, "If it weren't for that rookie, you'd still be fighting with the NYPD."

"I'm starting to see that," Johannes admitted, "Those two work great together. Did they ever go out?" Flack laughed.

"The Italians?" he asked, "No way."

"Italians?" Johannes asked, puzzled.

"Giovanni and Serafina Messer are brother and sister," Flack explained, "The oldest two of five. And the only two with Italian names."

"Siblings?" she asked, incredulous, "No wonder she's our unofficial liaison." Pieces were beginning to fall into place, bits of the puzzle that was Agent Messer.

"Yeah, and she went federal to avoid that whole mess," he muttered. Just then they were called back to the crime scene.

"Find something?" Johannes asked, adjusting her position to see the screen. The room displayed was painted a light blue with a primary color airplane motif. It was clearly the little boy's room.

"Yeah, in Sammy's room," Fina said, "It's a flyer for a nanny strike. Sammy didn't have a nanny, did he?"

"Actually," Flack commented, "he did. Grace Foster. She didn't watch him because she's visiting her sick sister."

"Sick sister my foot, she's at that rally" Fina muttered, "We'll need to find her."

--

Agent Johannes returned from her lunch break to find her new partner elbow deep in a case file.

"Did you work through lunch on the little boy's case?" she asked. Fina looked up, then shook her head.

"It's an older case," she said, "a runaway who turns eighteen next week. I had hopes of getting her home to celebrate, but this girl knows the city. Her parents are worried sick."

"I've still got fifteen minutes of lunch," Johannes pulled the file towards her, putting her feet up on the corner of the rookie's desk, "Let me take a look." She settled back in her chair and read the name off of the file.

"Anna Donelle Messer?" she asked, "She related to you and your scientist brother?"

"Our youngest sister," Fina admitted, "She ran away six months ago without leaving a trace as to where she was going. You'd think that with our family we'd have found her in a day but she knows how to disappear." Fina looked up from her desk and froze. Johannes turned to see two Armed forces officers in full dress standing in the doorway.

"Serafina Messer?" one of them asked. Fina stood on shaky legs and nodded. Johannes looked confused but moved to stand as well.

"Is there somewhere we could talk privately, Ma'am?" the officer asked. Fina nodded again, and looked to Johannes to vacate the otherwise empty office. She did so but hung just outside the door and watched as Fina's pale face grew paler then broke out in a relieved smile. There were tears in her eyes as she thanked the officers and ushered them out of the room. Then she sat back down at her desk and put her head in her hands. Johannes waited for a moment, before cautiously stepping back into the room.

"Do I get to know what that was about?" Johannes asked. Fina looked up at her and shook her head.

"Not even my family gets to know about that yet," Fina said, swiping at tears that still rolled down her cheeks, "Understand?" Johannes saw the steel in her blue eyes and nodded.

"Back to the grindstone, then?" Johannes asked, pulling out Sammy's case file.

"Yep," the younger agent said, "Let's do this."

--

The next hours yielded nothing on little Sammy. His nanny, as it had turned out, really was caring for a sick sister and all of the rally participants had been detained, questioned and cleared. Fina sat at her desk, sifting through the cell phone records of the victim and decided to check in with the CSI's. The phone rang about four times before it was finally answered.

"Monroe," the voice on the other end was soft and caring. It was also laden with sorrow.

"Hey Mom," Fina said, "It's me, what's going on?"

"Sweetheart," Lindsay said, "It's Micah."

"Mom," Fina interrupted, not wanting to cry again, "I know about Micah. I need to talk to Gio or Stella about this morning's case."

"Alright, dear, I'll go get your brother. Stella is still really upset," there was a pause, "I know you care for him, Serafina, how are you holding up?"

"I'll be okay, Mom," Fina insisted, "Just get Gio for me, please?" The phone switched hands relatively quickly, and Fina pictured the whole lab gathered in the break room around Stella and Flack.

"Hey, Fina Mac, did you hear the news?" Gio asked, shaking her from her vision.

"Yes," she said, "and I'm okay, happy even, if I may be so selfish, but right now I am at a dead end with this case and I still have a missing two year-old out there. What do you have for me on our vic?"

"Not much, she was a pretty stand up girl. A dancer for a troupe and dance teacher as well. A starlet trying to make it big."

"Our starlet into any drugs that you can tell?"

"Tox came back negative, but we had Adam look at her hair. She got clean about three months ago. That's the same time that she moved in with her sister."

"So the past life followed her. But why take Sammy?"

"Revenge?" Gio speculated, "The two were alone in the house, there could have been a confrontation and then the perp could have mistaken Sammy for Kelly's kid and taken him."

"Why?" Fina asked.

"What is the leading group of child kidnappers in the nation?" Gio asked.

"Non-custodial parents," Fina said, "Your theory is that the guy thinks Sammy is his?"

"He might really be," Gio said, "Run with me here for a moment. Kelly is into drugs and dancing. A kid is going to ruin her life. She runs to her sister, has the baby, can't handle the responsibility and runs off again. Two years later she starts trying to iron out her life and gets killed for it." The scenario wasn't an uncommon one.

"Plausible," Fina admitted. She began typing furiously, trying to find any information on Kelly.

"So how are you really?" Gio asked, "I mean, this is your boyfriend were talking about."

"Funny," Fina jokingly mused, "I thought we were talking about a twenty-three year old female murder vic." She tried to change the subject, not completely sure she could talk about Micah just yet.

"Fina Mac," Gio scolded, "Be serious. I'm really concerned about you."

"And I'm really fine," she insisted. "He's alive and he's coming home. I don't care about anything else. I do care about making sure that I can say the same thing to Sammy's parents."

"Okay," Gio said, "I get it. I'll do some searching on this end and see if I can't come up with a boyfriend or dealer. I'll be in touch."

"Thanks, Gio," Fina said, hanging up the phone. Johannes walked over and put a Subway sandwich on her desk.

"What's this for?" the younger agent asked.

"I didn't see you eating lunch earlier," was the response.

"Thanks." Fina unwrapped the sandwich and was halfway through it when the phone rang. Johannes reached across the desk to pick it up.

"Johannes," she answered. It was Gio at the crime lab with an address for them.

--

The two agents stood together as they strapped on bullet proof vests. SWAT teams assembled and dispersed around them. Johannes followed Fina's lead as they moved closer to the command post.

"I'm seeing three distinct human heat sources," said the infrared camera technician, pointing them out on the screen, "This smallest one is probably your kid."

"Alright," Fina said, taking in the situation at hand, "We need a full team in that house. Agent Johannes and I will go with and we'll take charge of the child's welfare." Fina's demeanor demanded the respect that her barely average height would not normally command. The SWAT commander nodded and counted off his men. They moved into position, waiting for the command. When it was given, they rushed in. Fina sprinted for the back steps with Agent Johannes hot on her heels. The younger agent directed her partner across the narrow landing. In unison the two women kicked the doors open. Fina swept into the room, gun drawn and saw the little blond boy huddled in the corner of the bed. She quickly holstered her gun and rushed to the boy's side. He skittered away, understandably scared.

"Sammy," Fina whispered, "It's okay. I'm a police officer. Your Mommy and Daddy asked me to come find you." She sat down on the bed and waited for the boy to come to her. It didn't take long before he crawled over and wrapped his arms around her neck. She immediately rushed down the stairs and out the door with her precious charge.

--

The next few hours were spent wrapping up the case paperwork and making sure Sammy was safe. As it turned out, Gio's theory had been correct and the captor was Sammy's biological father, angry at Kelly for keeping a child, especially a son, from him.

It was nine o'clock when Johannes pulled on her jacket, ready to head out for the night. She looked back across the room to see her new partner still at her desk, head in her hand, studying a case file. Shaking her head, Johannes walked back until she was standing behind Fina. Only then did she realize that the young woman was actually asleep. Johannes giggled a bit and shook Fina awake.

"Yo, Messer," she whispered, "Wake up." The brunette stirred and blinked. Suddenly she jumped and looked at her watch. She hustled to gather the file and tuck it in her bag. Without a word, Fina rushed out of the building. Johannes shrugged and headed to her car.

On the way home she saw her partner running full tilt on the sidewalk, so she pulled to the side of the road, slowed down and opened the window.

"Messer!" she called, "Need a lift?" Fina nodded gratefully and stopped running. She gave directions as she tried to regain her breath. Less than five minutes later they were at her building.

"Thanks!" Fina called as she ran inside.

"No problem!" Johannes called back. She was very curious as to what was going on and had nothing else on her schedule, so decided to wait for a bit to see if her partner was headed somewhere. Sure enough, ten minutes later, Fina ran back out the door in dark denim jeans, a red turtleneck and brown corduroy blazer. The running was made more difficult by the red heels she was wearing. Her hair had been released from its typical ponytail and was now beautifully framing Fina's face. Fina got into her car and drove. Johannes followed as far as she could, until Fina pulled into a military base. She got through with a brief pause. Johannes pulled into the drive.

"Can I see some ID please?" asked the uniformed officer at the gates. Johannes pulled out her badge and driver's license.

"Is this official business, Agent Johannes?"

"Not really, but I'm concerned for my partner, she just came through, Serafina Messer. She's been acting weird all day and I wanted to make sure-" Johannes' ramblings were cut off by the soldier.

"I cannot allow you onto the base for personal reasons," the soldier said, "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to move along." Johannes nodded and backed up.

--

The morning sun shone in through a hospital window, hitting Fina's eyes and waking her from a restless sleep in an oversized easy chair. She opened her eyes to see that Micah was already awake and staring at her.

"Good morning," she whispered, "How long have you been awake?"

"Long enough," he whispered back. He reached out his hand and she wrapped her own fingers around his. He pulled her over to his bedside for a kiss, which she happily gave him.

"I love you," he said. Fina smiled at him and kissed him again. A girl could get lost in his kisses and those bright blue eyes were killer. They pulled back to breathe and laughed at the thought that two grown people, a Marine and an FBI agent at that, could be acting so much like teenagers.

"I love you, too," she said. They kissed again before Fina realized how late it was.

"I have to go to work," she exclaimed, gathering her bag and blazer. Micah hesitated to let go of her hand.

"I wish you didn't have to," he admitted, pulling her back. Fina kissed him again.

"So do I, believe me," she said, "What time is your PT session?"

"One-thirty," he said, confused.

"I'll try to take a late lunch and be here with you," Fina bartered. Micah nodded. They exchanged one last kiss and she was off.

--

Red flags went up in Johannes' mind as soon as Fina walked into the office wearing the exact same outfit she'd changed into the night before. The jeans were a little less crisp and the shirt looked slept in. But she felt powerless to say anything because then she'd have to admit to the stalking.

"Sleep well, Messer?" she asked instead. Fina nodded even as she yawned.

"If we're going to be partners," she said, "You may as well start calling me Fina."

"Not Serafina?" Megan asked, curious.

"Only my parents call me that, and only when I'm in trouble," Fina laughed, "That and the reporters and historians who are suddenly so interested in my story."

"You aren't even twenty-five yet!" Johannes laughed, "What do historians want with you?"

"My life story, as dull as it is," she quipped.

"Well, Fina," Johannes said, "You can call me Megan." They settled in to their respective paperwork and spent a relatively quiet morning chasing down leads on some colder cases. It was noon when Megan's stomach growled loudly.

"Well," she laughed, "I'll take that as a sign. You want to go get something to eat?"

"I'm okay for now, thanks" Fina said, "I have a lunch meeting at one that I should hold off until."

Megan nodded, stood and left the room. Fina settled back into her chair and back to her case file. It wasn't Anna, but another runaway about the same age and social background. They were handing off the case to the NYPD homicide unit today, as the girl had been found in a dark alley. She had overdosed on heroine and alcohol. Gio had been sent to collect the file. She expected him within the next half hour and wasn't sure exactly how the conversation was going to go. The CSI's knew that Micah had been wounded on the battlefield, even knew that he'd lost the lower half of his left leg, but they didn't know that he'd been flown in under the cover of darkness the night before. As the son of two decorated members of the NYPD, the human interest story would be a great scoop. Fina and Micah had planned to tell his family that evening after Fina got off work, but her favorite date outfit in its current condition would definitely tip Gio off that something was up. Just as she was trying to figure out what to do, her brother strode into the room.

"Hot date last night?" he asked without thinking. Then his mind caught up to his mouth and he stopped, "Your boyfriend is half a world away, injured and you're going out at night?" he asked. The spark in his eyes wasn't exactly a friendly one.

"Relax," Fina said, "No need to deck me. Micah's in town. They flew him in last night. He's at Mercy and he has his first PT session in an hour. I'm going to be there." Gio's impression of a goldfish was almost comical.

"How do you get to know all this when his parents don't even know? I thought the military was family over friends?" he asked. The moment had come. Fina bit her bottom lip and chose her next words with precise care.

"It's also wives over parents," she said softly, reaching inside the turtleneck for the rings that lay close to her heart.

"Wait, Wait, Wait," Gio said putting both hands on his forehead, "Information overload. Secretly dating, I get. But secretly married? Why? When you knew we'd all be over the moon about it, why hide it?"

"We've always loved each other," Fina said. "Getting married was an impulsive thing that we did the day before he left. I was scared he wouldn't come back, and I think maybe he was too. We really were, are, going to tell everyone, but I chickened out on that part last minute because I didn't need everyone feeling sorry for me if something did happen to him." She was trembling with fear and anxious nerves, waiting for his Italian temper to kick in. Instead of getting angry, Gio reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder to calm her.

"Okay, it's okay," he said, "I'm not angry. Tell him I'll be by to see him as soon as I can." Gio pulled the file off of the desk. He shook his head once more in disbelief before kissing her on the forehead and walking out. Fina collapsed back into her desk chair and laid her head down on the desk. She closed her eyes in relief and fell asleep.

Megan shook her awake at a quarter to one, wanting to ensure she got to her lunch meeting. The elder agent watched the younger as she straightened her desk, stuffed the dog eared and ever present file into her bag and hurried off to make herself look presentable.

--

Fina rushed into the room just as Micah's PT was helping the injured Marine into a wheelchair. It was a hard sight for her to see, her strong defender leaning on the large man, struggling to make it to the chair, gritting his teeth against the pain. She knew there were tears in her eyes even as she mustered up a smile.

"Hey there," she said, "miss me?" she leaned in for a kiss, remembering how he'd pulled her off of the ground for their wedding kiss to make up the rather large height difference between them.

"You know I did," he said, guiding her in for a second kiss, "Fina meet Morris, my physical therapist. Morris, my lovely wife, Fina." The large man extended a hand.

"Pleasure," he said, a hint of a southern accent in his baritone voice, "the Corporal here was just telling me how you two met."

"And how does he say it happened?" came a voice from behind Fina, "Because I was there and it was nothing all that romantic." Fina turned around to find Gio in the doorway.

"Hey," Micah teased, "I was already giving her a teddy bear." Gio scoffed and crossed over to hug his best friend.

"How are you, man?" he asked, taking in every aspect of Micah's appearance.

"Doin' better than I was," Micah said, "Late for PT right now, so walk with us." As they walked, Micah made another round of introductions.

Therapy was hard all around. Because Micah was in such great shape, it was easier than most patients, but still grueling. They met mostly with Jackie, an occupational therapist who taught Micah some of the finer points of being in a wheelchair. After an hour he was drenched in sweat, and so were Gio and Fina who insisted on learning how to help him if he needed it.

"You did beautifully," Jackie praised at the end of the session, "We'll have you home in no time flat." At that statement, Fina's mind began to race. They hadn't talked about whose apartment they were going to live in. Either option was open, as his landlord was a war veteran himself who insisted that he would keep the apartment free for Micah, even if the lease lapsed. Either apartment would need to be rearranged to accommodate Micah's wheelchair.

"Don't you worry about it, my Seraph," Micah said, "we'll cross all the necessary bridges as we come to them."

The doctor came in then, to examine the stitches. Micah grabbed hold of her hand and she stood strong for him. He flinched once or twice as the doctor hit a tender spot. When the exam was done, the nurse wrapped the leg as the doctor spoke with them.

"We'll give the swelling another week or so to go down before we measure for a prosthetic. After that it will be somewhere around two months before the incision has healed well enough to tolerate any extended use with the prosthetic. But everything is going very well.

"When can he come home?" Fina asked.

"Well," the doctor considered, "I expect that we can release him as soon as the OT clears him. We'll feel more comfortable sending him home if we can prove that he can function independently or with minimal aid." The young couple nodded.

"Fina, sweetheart, you should get back to work," Micah said, having noticed the clock. Fina nodded before kissing him goodbye. Gio settled into the chair which had served as Fina's bed the night before.

"My shift is done for the day, I'll keep him company," the CSI volunteered. The FBI agent looked suspiciously at her husband and brother.

"Alright," she sighed playfully, "but stay out of trouble." The pair just laughed.

"And you," she said sternly, pointing a finger at her brother, "None of this, 'You hurt her I kill you and hide the body stuff.' Got it?" Gio nodded, amused.

--

Fina ran by her house for a quick change of clothes before she finally made it back to the office at three. Megan Johannes was waiting. She studied Fina for a few silent minutes before saying anything.

"Pretty long lunch meeting," she commented, "and no offence, but you need a shower. Were you working out?"

"In a manner of speaking," Fina dodged the question, "Anything new come in?"

"Yeah Cooper and Finch are covering a teen runaway. They could use our help. They think they've tracked her to a shelter group, but can't be sure. They'd like us to go investigate, so make that shower quick." Megan didn't look up from the paperwork on her desk.

Fina did as she was told and soon found herself in the passenger side of the black department sedan. The shelter was a long distance from the field office, for that matter pretty much anything important in New York was, so it made for a very lengthy drive.

"So," Megan asked to break the silence which had hovered between them since Fina's return, "How was your lunch meeting? Who did you say it was with?"

"Nice try, Meg," Fina laughed, "You know I didn't say who it was with. But it was enlightening to say the least."

"Enlightening?" Megan asked, "sounds like you went to a poetry reading or a philosophy class."

"Nothing quite so profound I assure you," Fina laughed. The car pulled to a stop in front of a sparkling white building which seemed out of place in the neighborhood. The few teens clustered in front of the building scattered as they recognized Megan and Fina as law enforcement.

"You know that if you need anything I've got your back, right?" Megan asked. Fina was surprised, but nodded. The two agents slipped on their sunglasses as they stepped out of the car. They walked in the front door of the building and were greeted by an art gallery. One picture in particular was especially haunting. It was done in colored pencil and depicted what seemed to be a family. The shapes were definitely human and Fina could make out six figures in blue, standing in a semi circle but grouped by twos, their faces blurred. A seventh figure stood out in the drawing. The young woman was detailed, drawn in pale pink with long hair flowing back as if she was facing the wind. She stood beside two blue female figures, one of which was holding her wrist, but the girl in pink wasn't facing the inside of the circle. She was looking outward, struggling slightly against the hands wrapped in her hair. The signature in the corner read 'Don.' Something about the piece captured Fina's heart and eye as she studied the tear-stained face of the girl in pink.

"A captivating piece, no?" asked a voice from behind them, startling them, "So full of emotion, history and symbolism. Hard to believe the artist was only seventeen when she drew it. Can I help you, Detectives?" Megan flashed a badge.

"Actually we're Special Agents with the FBI. We need to talk to you about this girl," she showed the woman a photograph of the missing teen. Fina thought fast and pulled Anna's photo from the breast pocket of her jacket.

"And this one," she said. That the woman recognized both girls was clear. Also clear was Megan's annoyance at Fina bringing in a cold case. Fina just held her breath and hoped that her intuition wasn't off.

"That's Faith and that's Don," she said, "They've both been in today."

"Where are they now?" Fina asked. Six months of searching and this was the closest she'd come to her baby sister.

"Faith left a couple hours ago, but Don is working on a project. I think she's still in the studio." It was all Fina could do not to run through the building. Instead she stood stock still, fighting tears.

"Do you know where Faith went?" Megan asked. The woman shook her head, long black hair waving.

"Can you please take me to see Don?" Fina asked, still fighting back tears. The woman nodded and led them to a back room. Fina felt her heart begin to race as the woman pushed open a door to peek inside

Anna was hard at work on a drawing and didn't look up when the three other women entered the room. Fina took in her sister's long blond hair in desperate need of a wash and her skin and bones frame. Anna was dressed in ragged jeans and a battered old sweatshirt Fina recognized as having first belonged to Gio. She sat cross-legged and Fina could see that her sneakers had been worn almost through.

"Don," the woman said, softly clearing her throat, "These Agents would like to speak to you." Anna looked up and Fina saw that she wanted to run. Instead Fina decided to do the running. She sprinted across the room and pulled her sister into her arms and held tight, despite her struggling.

"Let go of me!" Anna screamed. She tried to bite her sister's shoulder, but Fina twisted away. Megan strode over, cuffs at the ready. But Fina held her off. She pulled back from her baby sister, moving her hands so she was holding the girl's arms at the shoulders. She looked into Anna eyes and saw crazed desperation.

"Don," she said, "I need you to calm down. Please. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to take you home." Anna fought hard for a few more minutes before her limited strength gave out and she collapsed against Fina's body in tears.

"I can't come home. I can't," she said over and over, "That's not where I belong."

"Yes, you do," Fina assured her, "We all want you back." Anna kept crying and Fina stroked her hair. Megan shifted nervously from one foot to the other as she waited, not wanting to allow their trail to cool down. She turned to the woman who ran the shelter.

"Do you have any idea where Faith may have gone?" she asked. Anna spoke up.

"There's a run away camp near here," she said, peeking up from Fina's left shoulder, "It's where I've been staying for the last few weeks. Faith has been helping us for the past week, then showed up this morning wanting to stay. Lexie told her it was okay. Then Faith and I came here, but she was bored after a while, so she split." The teenager turned to her sister, "Fi, I really don't want to go back." She was almost pleading.

"We'll talk about that back at my office," Fina said, "First, we need to see this camp."

Anna reluctantly led them to a vacated parking garage which was full of separate shelters which had been created using blankets, sleeping bags, cardboard and plastic. It wasn't hard for Megan to spot Faith's space, the hot pink comforter was still relatively bright and the girl sitting on it was still freshly clean. While her partner talked to Faith, Fina found Anna's space and collected her sister's things. There wasn't much, a couple sketch pads, an old comforter taken from their linen closet, a few books and a family photo. Fina noticed that Anna still wore the courtesy shield her parents had commissioned on its chain around her neck. Fina led Anna back to the car, then gave her a chance to say goodbye to some of her new friends. Eventually, both teens were in the back seat of the sedan, neither speaking to the agents.

They pulled in to the field office, and Anna tried to make a run for it. Fina took off after her, and it didn't take long to catch the winded teen. She guided her back inside to one of the interrogation rooms.

"Anna," Fina said, "What happened? Why did you run away?" The teenager settled into a very stereotypical slouch.

"I told you, I don't want to go back. Easy as that."

"I don't mean now, I mean six months ago when you didn't come home from school. I mean the day that the entire force was out searching for you. The day that our big brother cried himself to sleep and Daddy didn't sleep at all. Why did you run then?"

"I wanted to be alone," she said, "I was never alone at our house. I was always shoved in with the twins. It was always Alex, Aiden and Anna, as if we were one person. But at the same time I didn't belong. I was the odd man out. I mean you and Gio were always together and the twins were together, but I didn't have anyone like that. So I figured I'd get away from that." The account was so apathetic that Fina's heart broke.

"Why don't you want to come back?" she asked, placing a hand on Anna's shoulder.

"I've done stuff that I'm ashamed of. Besides, I ran away. Mom and Dad are going to kill me." Fina scoffed.

"Maybe hug you to death, but nothing more," she said, "You aren't the first Messer to run away from home. Granted yours did last longer than Gio's and mine, but you did make it back in less time than the family record for missing persons, so I think you are still within the realm of loveablility with the rest of your life to spare," Fina looked for a smile, but didn't get one. So she went for the more somber approach, hoping to make Anna understand the depth of the family's commitment to her.

"Anna," she said, her tone serious, "I have been exhausting my resources to bring you home. Mom and Dad and Gio have all taken detours from cases more than once because they thought they saw you. The twins have made your case the topic of most of their term papers at the academy. We were scared." Anna nodded.

"Okay," she whispered, "I'll come back. I'll come home." Fina smiled and stood, hugging her sister.

"I'll submit all the paperwork to close your case and then see if I can't get time from my boss to take you to my place and get you a shower before we call everyone." Anna nodded.

"You can come sit out with me if you like, meet my partner, wait for me to be done. Megan could probably even get you something to eat if you like."

"Food would be nice," the runaway admitted. Fina smiled at her sister.

"Food it is then."

--

It took Fina longer than expected to finish up all the paperwork. Anna mostly entertained herself with a legal pad and pencil. Finally, it was time to talk to the captain. Fina gathered the paperwork and headed to the back office.

"Come in, Rookie," he responded to her knock. Fina slid the folder across his desk.

"I just closed a cold one, sir," she said, "I was hoping to reunite her with her family within an hour or so and stay for the rest of the evening."

"Agent Messer, it's almost six in the evening, go home," the man ordered with a smile.

"Thank you, sir," she said. She walked out of his office and collected her bag and her sister and they drove toward her apartment. As Fina was letting them into her building the phone rang. It was Micah.

"Hey, Honey," she said, ignoring her sister's look of surprise.

"Are we still on for dinner?" he asked. Fina closed her eyes in frustrated recollection.

"Oh, sweetheart, I am so sorry. Something came up with work and I had to stay later and now I have a family meeting to call, I don't think I can make it."

"Sure," he said, disappointed. His tone sent a wave of guilt through her as she realized that she was the only chance at company he had that day.

"I found Anna today," she said, trying to cheer him up. She'd written him letter upon letter after the teen had run away blaming herself, so he knew this was big, "That's what came up. I only barely convinced her to come home, and I haven't told my family yet. So, how about we make dinner into late night ice cream sundaes?"

"If you bring the fudge, definitely," he agreed, remembering the homemade fudge sauce recipe she'd perfected in high school, "I'd better let you go. I love you, Fina"

"I love you, too." Fina hung up the phone and turned to her smirking little sister. She ruffled Anna's hair affectionately then pushed her gently toward the bathroom. Thirty minutes later, Anna emerged, wrapped in a towel.

"Feel free to raid my closet for anything that will fit you," Fina said, surveying the pile of filthy clothes on the bathroom floor. Anna nodded and moved to dig through the drawers. She discarded several sweatshirts bearing FBI and NYPD academy logos until she finally found one she liked. The logo was from a community theater play Fina had been in her junior year of high school. Fina herself grabbed a sweatshirt and faded jeans and rushed off to change. When she finished, she called to make sure their three other siblings would be at their parents' house that evening.

"Fina," Anna called, "Do you have a hairbrush I can use?"

"Sure," Fina called back. She tossed it to her sister, who looked so young sitting cross-legged on the couch in the oversized sweatshirt and sweatpants. Her curtain of sun-bleached blond hair reached her waist and held none of their mother's curl. Fina sat down beside her and reached for the brush. She gently ran it through Anna's hair. They sat for a while before either one spoke.

"Fina, I'm still scared," the seventeen year old admitted.

"Don't be," Fina said. "When I say Mom and Dad still love you, I mean it." Fina pulled the brush through one more time and stood.

"Come on," she said, "We have to go have dinner."

--

Fina pulled up in front of her childhood home and practically dragged her sister out of the car. The sisters walked up the steps and were just opening the door when Gio ran up behind them.

"Anna?" he asked, incredulous. He swallowed her in his arms and held on for dear life.

"I'm so happy that you're safe," he choked. Fina knew ttthat she saw tears in the tough man's eyes. He, more than any of the girls, had felt the pain of guilt when Anna ran away. From the moment he joined their family as a streetwise four year old, he'd taken on the responsibility of protecting his baby sister, Fina. As they'd each been born, Alexis, Aiden and Anna had all been tucked under his wing.

As he held onto Anna for dear life, the door opened to reveal Alex and Aiden. When the identical twins saw their sister they screamed for joy and rushed to embrace her. Their jubilation alerted Danny and Lindsay who were at the back of the house. They slowly made their way to the door. The three older children parted ways. Lindsay's jaw fell to the floor and she opened her arms. Anna went willingly, with tears in her eyes. Mother and daughter clung to each other in the shelter and security of Danny's arms.

"You're home," Lindsay marveled repeatedly through her tears, "I'm so happy that you're home. I missed you." Gio suggested they move the reunion off of the front steps and inside. He also suggested ordering pizza for dinner.

Dinner was a joyful affair filled with laughter. Anna fit right back in to the spot they'd reserved for her in her absence and seemed comfortable. She laughed at the stories the twins told of their time in training at the police academy. She gave them a brief picture of where she had spent her time.

"Enough about me," she declared, "I want to hear about you guys. How are your love lives?" Danny and Gio laughed and excused themselves to do the dishes.

"Non-existent," declared Alex and Aiden in unison. All eyes turned to Fina.

"Don't look at me," she said defensively, "I don't have a boyfriend." Anna looked at her sister doubtfully. "I don't!" Fina asserted again.

"And I suppose you also didn't have a dinner date you took a rain check on tonight?" Anna asked.

"I was planning to have dinner with a close friend, yes," Fina admitted, "and before you ask, yes, we are meeting up for sundaes later tonight. But he's not my boyfriend." Aiden, Alex and Anna giggled. Lindsay leaned back in her chair, suspicious. Fina rose.

"Speaking of which, Ma, can I use your stove for a bit?" she asked, gathering a grocery sack she had brought with her, "I promised to bring the fudge."

"Sure, Angel," Lindsay said, growing more suspicious. Fina didn't notice her mother's gaze as she entered the kitchen. Her father and Gio were sitting at the kitchen table, pouring over an article in a forensics journal. Fina tried to make as little noise as possible as she retrieved the saucepans she needed to make her fudge sauce. She added the semisweet chocolate bars to the larger pan, and the sweetened condensed milk and the other ingredients. When the mixture was ready, she poured half of it into a second pan and added a scoop of peanut butter, stirring until it had melted, but not completely mixed in. Gio caught her eye and smiled at the peanut butter, remembering her comment about Micah's cravings days before.

"Fina," her father spoke up, "I don't think we have the ice cream for sundaes." Fina feigned shock.

"You tell me this after I've spent all this time making hot fudge?" she asked. She laughed at his expression, "Relax, Dad, I'm meeting a friend for sundaes after I'm done here. I should actually get going." She carefully poured the steaming fudge into two containers and said her goodbyes. Her father hugged her extra long and whispered that he was proud of her. The look her mother gave her said they were going to have a talk later and Anna's hug was sweet and sincere.

Fina walked into Micah's room armed with everything they'd need to make sundaes, and a couple of his favorite DVD's. She found that he already had visitors. Stella and Dan Flack rose from their places on either side of Micah, surprised to see her. Fina smiled at them nervously, unsure how much her husband had divulged.

"Hey, Fina," he said, "something smells good."

"That would be the hot fudge I just made at my parents' place," she said, grateful for something to say. She set the bags down on the table and started sorting out dishes and ice cream, thankful that she'd decided to go with packages of paper dishes and plastic silverware.

"Aunt Stella, Uncle Don, do you want some ice cream?" she asked. They both nodded. She took orders and served up sundaes to everyone. When that was finished, she realized that she had nowhere to sit. That problem was solved when Micah scooted over to make room on the edge of the bed. She perched on the edge of the bed. It was silent for a time, before Fina spoke.

"I brought some movies if we wanted to watch one," she said, rising to collect them. She read off the titles and they settled on The Princess Bride. She hooked everything up and settled back on the bed. The movie was a welcome relief because it meant they didn't have to talk or answer questions.

"You don't look very comfortable perched there, Fina," Micah commented, "You've had a long day, lean back a bit. I promise I won't bite." Fina smiled at his tactics, knowing he just wanted to be closer to her. She did settle in against the top of the bed. Halfway through the movie, her eyes became too heavy to keep open, so she closed them for a minute. Moments later she was sound asleep with her head against Micah's shoulder.

It was Stella who first noticed that she was asleep.

"Poor darling had a rough case the past couple days," she said to no one in particular, "Not to mention that Anna's birthday's coming up." Micah straightened his arm to a more comfortable position and wound his fingers in a lock of brown hair.

"Have you ever thought of dating Fina?" his father asked. Micah smiled softly.

"Let's just say that the two of us have been thinking about that together," he said. Flack smiled broadly.

"Since when?" he asked.

"The day before I deployed," Micah said. Fina stretched lazily as she stirred in her sleep. Her groggy mind didn't register that they weren't alone, so she snuggled in closer to him and kissed his neck, before falling back to a deep sleep.

"I'd say you've been doing a little more than thinking about it," the older man laughed. Micah shrugged.

"Maybe we have," he said, "But right now, that's our business." Stella and Don agreed, and they understood that he wasn't trying to be rude. They settled back in to watch the movie.

Half an hour later, the nurse made her rounds. She came into Micah's room and clucked her tongue at the mess and the visitors. Micah shook Fina awake gently.

"Hey, Corrine," she yawned, "Feel free to take the ice cream and fudge back to the nurses station with you if you want it. You'll want to heat the fudge again and tell Nate to avoid the one in the green container. It's peanut butter." The nurse laughed and stepped in to collect the treat.

"Bribery will get you everywhere," she joked, "That and the fact that your husband's a Marine." Fina and Micah flinched while Stella and Don choked on their laughter. Corrine didn't seem to notice as she turned to Don and Stella.

"I am, however, going to have to ask you two to leave," she told them. Wordlessly, they nodded and rose, still staring at the young couple in the hospital bed. Fina started to pull away from Micah, embarrassed, but he tightened his hold reassuringly. He looked back to his parents without a trace of shame.

"We'll talk about this tomorrow," he said, "When it can be all of us. We wanted to explain it to you tonight, but Anna came home so we couldn't get you all together." Don and Stella nodded. Stella moved to the bedside and kissed each of them on the forehead. She lingered next to Fina, smiling brightly. The younger woman was certain she saw tears in her mother-in-law's eyes.

"I'm not mad," Stella whispered, "I love you both. We'll talk. Get some sleep."

--

Fina woke early and carefully pulled herself from Micah's arms. It wasn't too long after that when a nurse came in with breakfast. Fina smiled at her and gently woke Micah. He sat up and they ate together, smiling the whole time. Fina laughed as he tried to force feed her oatmeal and somehow it ended up on her cheek. He leaned forward with a napkin, and wiped it off. As they were finishing up, Morris came in with a wheelchair. Fina looked confused. It was still awfully early for a physical therapist to be in.

"I asked him to come early so that we could do this together," Micah admitted. "Since I have two sessions a day, we're trying to schedule them wisely."

The physical therapy session went well and finished in enough time for Fina to get to the gym before work for an abbreviated work out. She ran into Megan on the track. She'd been jogging for a while, but invited Fina to join her.

"So," Megan said, "You found your sister. I'll bet that's a rush like none other."

"Oh, you bet," Fina enthused, "We had a nice family dinner at my parents last night, just the seven of us."

"_Just_ the seven of you," Megan laughed, "That's my whole extended family. What was it like growing up with so many siblings?" She picked up the pace and Fina matched her stride for stride.

"Well, I always liked it, you always had a friend around to play with. Anna said that there was too much division, Me and Gio, Alex and Aiden, there was no where for her to fit in, apparently. That's going to be our biggest hurdle in keeping her home." Megan nodded solemnly.

"So did your parents come from big families?" she asked.

"My mom did, she's got five older brothers," Fina said, "My dad is one of only two kids."

"Are you close with your uncles, cousins?" Megan asked.

"What's with all the questions?" Fina asked. They ran another lap before she answered.

"My oldest cousins were teenagers when I was born, and they live in Montana, so we're not all that close. Two of my mom's brothers never got married. My dad's brother is pretty cool, but he never got married and he's still got a few residual gang ties. We're closer to the Lab family than our real family." This time, it was Fina who sped up, leaving Megan to either follow or catch up.

"Okay, this one, I've got to ask; the Lab family?" Megan said.

"My parents met when my mom transferred here from Montana to work at the Crime Lab. My dad's a CSI as well. Their team is really close and so we're all like a family. There's me and my siblings, Felicity Taylor, the four Hawkes kids and Micah Flack."

"Wait, Flack as in Detective Flack from Sammy's case Flack?" Megan asked, her head spinning at the connections she was making.

"Yeah, the only son of Don Flack and Stella Bonasera, the CSI you went toe to toe with," Fina laughed. They slowed and took the track at a walk to cool down.

"Let me get this straight," Megan said, "Your parents and your brother work for the crime lab. You are closer to the CSI's and homicide detectives than your actual family. Why did you go federal?"

"For that reason, I was too connected. That and I wanted to work missing persons." The two agents showered and dressed for the day. They walked into the room to find the office was a frenzy of activity, teenaged runaways and their weeping parents were being reunited by the dozens. Fina and Megan fought their way back to their desks, only to find they were occupied by teenagers waiting in quiet submission. Fina shook her head and walked back to the captain's office.

"What's going on?" she asked, stepping around other agents who'd taken refuge in the office.

"That runaway camp you found Faith and Anna in last night. I had the guys go back and found fifteen other teenage runaways we've been searching for. Nice work, Messer." Fina nodded humbly. The other agents looked at her with slight annoyance. This was her second high-profile case this week and this time it had invaded their turf.

"What do we do right now, boss?" one of the agents asked.

"Footwork," was the response, "Anything you can on old cases. If you can't do anything then you are on call. I'll let you know when the chaos has died down here. Messer, stick around for a minute." Fina waited as the others filed out of the room. Megan Johannes was the last to leave and she only stepped out after Fina silently told her to go. The young agent sat down in one of the chairs across the desk from the captain.

"Agent Messer, I want to talk to you about your lunch break yesterday. It was too long," he said. Fina sighed and dropped her head into her hands. The captain continued.

"This isn't a problem I've had with you before, in fact, I've often had to tell you to take a break, so when your partner approached me about you not being back, I was concerned. She told me that she's worried about you. Are you okay?" Fina nodded, but her demeanor betrayed her.

"I trust that you know you can approach me with any problems you may have," he said.

"There's just a lot going on in my life right now," she said, "But I am determined not to let it interfere with my work as an agent."

"I'm glad to hear it," the captain said, "Now, go enjoy your morning. I'll call you when I need you."

--

Fina and Micah wandered out to the hospital courtyard so that he could get some fresh air. He insisted on propelling the wheelchair himself, citing that he'd need the practice. As they meandered through the tranquil garden, Fina spoke up.

"We need to make some decisions," she said, "Starting with which apartment we're going to live in."

"Yours," he said without hesitation. He had helped her find the apartment when she'd gone apartment hunting and it was the place that had hosted all the March madness basketball nights with Gio before Micah had shipped out. He knew she was in love with the spacious apartment for its windows and proximity to her office. It was also going to be more wheelchair accessible than his third floor bachelor pad, which was a place he'd leased as a crash pad for when he was in town and an address for mail.

"Alright," she said, secretly glad the decision was so easy, "When can I spring you from this joint?"

"They say if everything goes well, as soon as I get measured for my prosthetic, so another four days or so. But I'll still need to be back here twice a day for therapy, unless the insurance will pay for home sessions, which they probably won't." Fina reached over and took his hand.

"As soon as we tell my parents, I'll talk to my captain and explain things. He's ex-military himself, so I'm sure we can work something out." Fina's pager vibrated and she reached down to her waistband to check it. She read the number and quirked an eyebrow before reaching for her phone. She looked through her contact list before nodding and dialing. Micah wrapped his arm around her waist and tickled her. She swatted his arm as Megan picked up.

"Hey, Messer," Megan said, "Do you want to do lunch?" Fina's gut reaction was to say no. She leaned against Micah's shoulder and looked up at him.

"Give me a second," she said. She moved the phone to her shoulder.

"My partner wants to do lunch, will you survive without me?" Fina's eyes nearly begged him to ask her to stay. Instead he gave her a sly smile and kiss.

"You two need to get to know each other. Go," he said, "Besides, your brother's coming over at his lunch break." Fina pouted but got back on the phone to make arrangements with Megan.

"Who was that?" Megan asked, having heard snippets of their conversation.

"No one of consequence," Fina joked. Micah feigned hurt and tickled her side in revenge. Because they had been friends since childhood, he knew, and easily found, her ticklish spot and it was all Fina could do to keep from laughing. She wrapped her fingers around his and shoved his hand away from her side.

"So," Megan said, not sounding convinced, "Do you want to do lunch?"

"Yes," Fina said, "Where do you want to meet up?" Micah seemed determined to be a pest as he snuggled his nose up against her ear and blew the hair away from it, tickling her neck. She swatted at him.

"Do you want a salad or a slice?" Megan asked, using a bit of New York slang she'd picked up.

"A slice sounds good," Fina said. They arranged a pizzeria and Fina helped Micah back to his room. She was just getting ready to leave as Gio came in with a gym bag over his shoulder and a smirk on his face.

"This just looks dangerous," Fina laughed as she collected her bag and kissed Micah. She lingered longer than usual just to annoy her big brother. In the middle of the kiss she glanced up to see Gio faking being sick. She smiled as she pulled away and gave Micah a final peck on the cheek.

"You know," Gio said, "I could have lived my whole life without seeing that and died a happy man." Fina shook her head playfully and walked out.

"Call me if you need anything," she said over her shoulder. Gio watched her go down the hallway before he opened the gym bag.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Born ready," the Marine replied.

--

The atmosphere in Ray's changed. The restaurant fell silent then slowly filled with reverent whispers. Fina turned in her chair and nearly choked on her pizza. Micah met her shocked gaze with a cocky grin. He hobbled over to her on crutches and sat down in the chair next to her.

"Are you crazy? What are you doing?" she asked, stunned. She wasn't quite sure how to react or treat him, so her hands fluttered around his shoulders, his neck, down to his fingers and back again, never settling. He grabbed one of them and held it.

"I'm having lunch with you and meeting your newest partner," he said, "And before you ask, yes, my doctor knows where I am and he gave me the crutches." Fina laughed at her husband's foresight.

"Probably after you threatened to hop around everywhere rather than using your wheelchair," she muttered under her breath. Megan watched the interchange with amusement and greeted Gio as he sat down next to her.

"Who is that?" she asked him quietly. The CSI laughed a moment before he whispered back.

"My best friend," he answered, "Who has apparently been my brother –in-law for almost a year." Megan nodded and he saw the question behind her eyes but shook his head.

"I have no idea how it happened, and they're not talking until they tell my parents, which could be a while." He said this a little louder than he meant to and Fina heard him. She stopped mid-jest and turned to him.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked. Her husband also turned his attention to Gio, having missed the initial statement.

"Mom and Dad just took two weeks off to take Anna to Bozeman. They've had the trip planned for months, they were just waiting for her to come home," Gio said. Fina's face fell and Micah rubbed her arm slowly. Their eyes locked and they held a conversation without saying anything. His hand reached up to her cheek and his thumb rubbed her chin.

"Don't worry about it, Fina," Micah whispered, "Let's just enjoy lunch." She nodded and turned to make introductions.

"Megan, you've met my brother, Gio," she said, "and this is my husband, Micah Flack. Micah, my partner, Megan Johannes." The pair shook hands and Gio walked up to order pizza for himself and Micah. The three who were left fell into easy conversation about baseball and the weather. Megan had to stop herself from asking about the leg injury and the doctor comments that had been thrown around earlier. Gio returned with the food and told Micah that the owner, himself a veteran, had given them their pizza free of charge. Micah nodded and it was then Megan noticed the Marine Corps logo on his t-shirt.

"Were you in the Corps?" she asked. Micah nodded.

"My father was a Marine," Megan said, "He lost three fingers and one of his eyes in Beirut the night of the attack on the base. He always talks about his Marine brothers with great respect. Especially the man he says saved his life, a Mac Taylor." She was so lost in thought that she missed the looks that passed between the three New Yorkers. Suddenly, Megan's pager sounded, startling everyone. She answered the page and talked to her boss for a few minutes before looking apologetically at Fina and the men.

"That was the captain," she said, "They've finally found our desks again so he wants us in." She gathered the rest of her pizza and stood. Fina kissed Micah on the cheek and did the same. The two left together, but soon realized that they had separate cars. Each drove to the office, but Megan managed to get lost along the way, arriving twenty minutes later than her partner. She had to push her way through the sea of reporters swarmed around the door. Once inside she found her partner sitting at her desk, fuming. Megan walked cautiously to the edge of the desk.

"I don't want to talk about it," Fina snapped. She had obviously lost her temper and was trying to pull herself back together. The phone began to ring. Fina just stared at it, as if she were willing it to stop ringing. When it became apparent that her partner was not planning to answer the phone, Megan reached over and picked it up, ignoring the protests.

"Johannes," she said.

"Hello, I'm Kristen Triener, with Dateline. I'm trying to reach Serafina Messer," Megan's eyebrows shot up. She looked at her partner who shook her head, drawing a finger across her throat.

"She's not currently available, but can I take a message?" Megan asked, motioning for Fina to be silent as she activated the speaker phone.

"Dateline is putting together a special on the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping and subsequent child kidnappings and I'm hoping that Miss Messer would be so kind as to grant us an interview. If you wouldn't mind asking her to call when she does get a moment that would be great. The number is 555-7549. Thank you so much and I hope you have a nice day," she said in an overly cheery voice before hanging up. Fina groaned and laid her head on her arms.

"I did not need this," she moaned, lifting her head so her chin rested on her folded hands. Megan turned a chair around backwards and sat, staring into her partner's eyes. She was shocked to find so much heaviness in such a young face, heaviness that she hadn't seen in the 23 year-old even when they first became partners. The phone rang again and Megan answered it by reaching over and turning on the speaker.

"Johannes," she said.

"This is Detective Stella Bonasera with the NYPD Crime Lab," the caller answered, "I'm looking for Agent Fina Messer."

"I'm here, Stella," Fina said, lifting her head a little higher off of the table as she spoke, "What can I do for you?"

"I was hoping to take you to dinner tonight," she said, "I thought we could talk about some stuff and it would be some good girl time." Fina gave a half smile at the thought.

"I would love to do dinner," she said, "but I have to make one phone call to make sure I didn't have any other plans." Stella agreed and they said their goodbyes. Fina made a private phone call and then called Stella back with the plans.

--

Fina met up with Stella at a shopping center near the crime lab. She was a little early, so she wandered around before settling in to enjoy a smoothie. She pulled out her ringing phone and smiled at the picture ID. With a flick of her thumb she opened the phone.

"Hey, Handsome," she said.

"I miss you, Angel," Micah responded, "Do you really have to meet with my mother?"

"After the hand we dealt her last night, I think it's only fair," she chuckled. "Does it help any if I say that I miss you too?"

"No," he said, "because I want you to be happy." Fina chuckled softly.

"How very noble of you," she said. She looked up to see Stella standing in front of her.

"I have to go, love you," Fina said in a bit of a rush, all her nerves returning. She managed a nervous smile at Stella.

"Hi," she said. Stella let out a chuckle and sat down across from Fina.

"Hi to you too," she laughed, "I'm not here to grill you or anything. I just want to spend some time with the girl I've always considered to be a daughter."

"Stella," Fina said, "Thanks for the thought, but you can't expect me to believe that this doesn't have anything to do with Corrine's little announcement last night." Stella laughed and nodded. She found that she couldn't resist asking a couple of questions

"How long have you two been together?"

"Together or married?" Fina asked, not wanting to reveal that they were actually the same day.

"Both," was Stella's decision after a moment's delay.

"Since the day before he deployed," Fina said. Her smoothie was finished, so she stood up and Stella joined her. They walked for a while in silence before stopping in front of a bridal store.

"What was the wedding like?" Stella asked.

"A quick ceremony with a JoP," Fina admitted, "We just wanted to spend as much time with each other as we had left."

"So, you were married at the going away party?" Stella asked, thinking back to the loud, cheerful bash the lab had held the night before Micah left. Looking back, it was easy to see the little things between the pair; long looks, subtle touches and quiet whispers, the traces of tears, all par for the course with the two best friends anyway. From the moment they'd met as infants the two had been inseparable, a friendship that had led to more than one black eye each in defense of the other. At six, the pair had gotten suspended, the youngest in the history of their elementary school, for standing up to a bully, and nearly knocking his two front teeth out.

"Yeah, we were," Fina admitted. Stella took her hand and pulled her in to the store.

"Stella, what are you doing?" Fina asked, laughing.

"We are going to look at wedding dresses for you," the older woman said. "You might not have had a big wedding, but your first anniversary is in two months and you two can renew your vows in front of all your family and friends. Now, let's get you a dress." Fina smiled softly through the happy tears clouding her vision at the sweet display of love.

"Okay," she said, "If Micah's up for it, I'll do it."

--


	2. Chapter 2

That night Fina lay awake as Micah slept. Thoughts were racing through her head at such a rapid pace she didn't know where to start. Just a couple of days ago she'd had only her work and finding Anna to worry about. Now she had to balance work with Micah's therapy sessions, wedding plans and interview requests were crowding her time. She wasn't sure there were enough hours in the day to accomplish everything. She tried again to get comfortable but only succeeded in waking her husband. Seeing that she was awake, he propped himself up a little and reached over to run his fingers through her hair.

"Relax, Seraph," he whispered, "The world will straighten itself out tomorrow." He held her gaze steady with his. Fina nodded slowly.

"I'm okay," she said.

"Why do I feel like I don't believe you?" he asked, joking. His comment made her chuckle glumly. Micah pulled her in close, gently soothing her.

"Do we need to talk?" he asked. She shook her head no.

"You need to sleep. You have therapy in the morning," she said, trying to get comfortable. But Micah sat up and reached for the bedside light.

"Sweetheart," he said, "This is a lot to deal with. I mean, you're even having to get used to being a wife and now my mom's got you planning a wedding. You're just one person; you shouldn't have to go through so much." His kissed her forehead and she smiled sleepily up at him.

"How can you read my mind?" she asked.

"We grew up side by side. Face it, Fina Mac, I know you better than you know you." Fina laughed and yawned.

"Sleep, Serafina. I'll be here the whole way. Let me handle the wedding plans. I need something to help pass the time," he reasoned. Fina agreed as she nodded off to sleep.

--

The days passed quickly in a whirl of therapy and work and wedding plans. Stella had told Eden about the wedding and the fashionista had instantly insisted on designing Fina's wedding dress. Three weeks after Lindsay, Danny and Anna were supposed to return they were still in Montana. Apparently, Anna felt more comfortable in Montana where no one held expectations for her life based on her older siblings. As Fina wanted to break the news to her parents in person, they still didn't know.

Fina's lunch break today was scheduled to be a dress fitting. She drove out to Eden's boutique and instantly spotted the hidden camera reporter who was probably doing some exposé on up and coming fashion designers, of which Eden was a beautiful example. Fina slipped into the back office where Eden was standing and watching the showroom.

"I see you've noticed your visiting reporter," the agent joked.

"I wasn't raised by a cop for nothing," Eden quipped back, "Ready to see your dress?"

"Of course!" Fina said. Eden led her into the private back fitting room, where the dress was on a mannequin, hidden underneath a red velvet cloth. Eden pulled a velvet blindfold down over Fina's eyes. Despite the agent's protests, Eden helped her out of her clothes and into the dress.

"Ready?" Eden asked. She untied the blindfold and pulled it back. Fina felt the breath leave her chest as she saw the dress.

She'd been expecting a rough, unfinished dress, but other than the hem, the dress was complete. It fit perfectly, with a structured long-sleeved bodice which flowed to the floor in a straight line. The waistline was high and an overskirt flowed on either side. Military style stars lined the edge of the overskirt. The effect was stunning. The tough FBI agent felt tears in her eyes.

"You look amazing, Serafina," Eden said, "You're radiant!" She knelt down to pin the hem when a knock sounded at the office door. Eden stood and walked through the office to the door. When she saw who it was she quickly shut the connecting door.

"Aunt Lindsay!" she said, hugging the woman, "and Anna! I missed you, girl! How have you been?"

"Really great, but we're kind of in a rush," Lindsay said, "We're moving to Montana and this one wants a homecoming dress that will astound her new friends." She ruffled her daughter's hair and Anna actually smiled.

"Alright," Eden said, "Why don't you go look and see what you can find and I will be right out after I finish in here." She slipped back into the fitting room and expertly pinned the hem. As she left, she carefully pulled another dress from a dressmaking dummy.

"Your mom and sister are here," she told Fina, who was still captivated by the gown, "Might be a good time to tell them." Fina nodded and asked for her cell phone. Eden handed it over and walked out into the showroom. She found Lindsay and Anna studying a robin's egg blue halter top dress which would look stunning on the thin blonde.

"That is perfect!" Eden gushed, "And I need you to do me a favor. I really need to hem this dress for a special customer, and she's just your height. Can you please try it on for me?"

"Sure!" Anna said, "It's really pretty!"

"Thanks," Eden said. The dress was beautiful. Nearly identical to Fina's, the dress was strapless with a deep red front panel and navy blue bodice and overskirt. The navy on navy stars added an elegant touch to the dress. As Anna stood, patiently waiting for Eden to pin the hem, Alex and Aiden strode in. Dressed in identical uniforms they'd never looked so identical in their lives. Even the nametags on their chests were identical, each reading A. Messer. When they saw their mother and sister they ran to them, excited.

"Mom! Anna!" Aiden called, embracing the older woman and stepping back to admire the younger.

"That dress is amazing!" Alex gushed, "A wedding! Isn't it so exciting?" She and Aiden giggled together, not seeing Eden's warning shake of the head. Lindsay's hand paused on the rack.

"Whose wedding?" she asked. Alex and Aiden went silent and looked at each other, holding a conversation in that infuriating way that only twins could.

"Mine," came a small voice from the office doorway. The group turned to see Fina in her wedding dress. Lindsay gasped and her hands flew to her mouth. Mother and daughter stood, rooted in their places for a few moments before Lindsay rushed across the room and hugged Fina. Then she took a step back and took in the effect of her oldest girl and her natural firstborn in a wedding dress. Tears sprang to her eyes and Fina's too.

"When?" Lindsay asked.

"Three weeks from Wednesday," Fina admitted.

"How long have you been seeing each other?" Lindsay asked. Fina almost laughed that she didn't ask who it was.

"We've been together for almost a year, but it's been a long distance thing until about two months ago. But we've been good friends for years," Fina said.

"Who?" Lindsay asked.

"Micah."

Silence reigned supreme for a moment before Lindsay laughed. The sound broke the tension in the room and soon everyone was laughing.

"Just imagine what your dad will say when he finds out he's going to be related to Flack," Lindsay said between giggles.

--

_What will Danny say? We'll find out in the next installment. I would offer links to the dress pictures, but we still haven't progressed technologically far enough for you to get inside my brain (thank goodness). Thanks for reading._


	3. Chapter 3

Fina was relieved to return to work and avoid telling her parents that she was, in fact, already married. Lindsay had been excited, immediately placing a call to Stella so she could catch up on the wedding plans. Anna, Alex and Aiden went to lunch together and everyone agreed to have dinner at the house that night.

Fina walked in to her apartment that evening to find Micah standing at his full height without a crutch in sight. Despite her exhausting day she was excited and ran to him. She slowed in front of him and wrapped her arms gently around him. He laughed and pulled her tightly into a hug. He leaned down to kiss her and she stretched to her tiptoes to meet him.

"I married a pixie," he complained jokingly, kissing her again.

"I thought you weren't getting this for another couple weeks!" she said, "Not that I'm complaining, but you could have told me!"

"And miss that look on your beautiful face?" he asked, "Couldn't do that."

"I love you," she said, "Now, go get changed. We're going to my parents' place for dinner."

--

Danny opened the door and greeted Micah with a hug.

"Good to see you! And look at you, up and around on two feet!" he exclaimed. Micah laughed as he used the single crutch to walk into the living room of the house. Fina followed after planting a kiss on her father's cheek. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang again. Danny looked around the full living room and wondered aloud who they were missing. He opened the door anyway and escorted Stella and Don into the house.

"Well now," he said, "The whole family's here now! It's a real party isn't it?"

"Hey now!" Flack said, "seems like you'd better get used to it, seeing as those two decided to get hitched last year." He waved a hand at Fina and Micah who froze at his words. Danny turned and stared at his daughter. She managed an apologetic smile his direction while her hand reached for Micah's.

Everyone sat down, and the story was told yet again. Danny sat in silence, taking it all in. Then he crossed and gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek. He lovingly cuffed Micah on the back of the head. Suddenly, he remembered getting a phone call the day of Micah's going away party.

"You two asked permission!" he exclaimed. The room, which had slowly started to increase in volume, suddenly went silent again.

"Yes, we did," Fina answered, "And you said, and I quote 'Even though it goes against every fiber in my being to do anything that would mean I'd be related in any way to Flack, I can't stop love. So, if you're sure, you have my blessing." She even had the voice perfect. Everyone laughed.

--

A week later was the annual Lab Family barbeque. Micah and Fina were running a little late, but showed up after his morning physical therapy session. Everyone else was already present. Most excited to see Fina was seven year old Gracyn Hawkes. The girl came dashing over to her and leapt into her arms. Fina groaned at the sudden weight and then kissed Gracyn's chocolate colored cheek.

"I missed you!" the girl said, with a slight lisp due to her two missing front teeth.

"I missed you, too, Sweetface," Fina said, "Can you say hi to Micah?"

"You're back!" Gracyn cried, leaning toward him. He hugged her, but made sure she stayed supported in Fina's arms, as he still wasn't fully secure in his balance. Gracyn didn't seem to notice, and just minutes later she was off to play with her twin brother, Gregory. Mac walked over to them and hugged them both. He also informed them that the baseball teams were being decided soon so they'd better eat while they could. The couple helped themselves to hotdogs and coleslaw.

"Orange or Grape?" Fina asked, calling out the only non-alcoholic choices over her shoulder. He responded grape, so she carried the sodas over to the spot he'd chosen at the picnic table. They ate quickly before they could get dragged away mid-meal.

"Come on," Gracyn called, "the game's gonna start! You're on my team!" This was only the second game she'd taken part in and Mac had made her a team captain. Gregory was to lead the other.

"I want Micah!" Greg called. The newlyweds exchanged a glance.

"Buddy," Sheldon Hawkes said, crouching to his son's level, "Micah can't play today."

"Why not?" Greg asked. Micah stood, gathered his crutch and hobbled over to the boy.

"I can't run right now, because my doctors had to make me a new leg and I still have to learn how to walk on it," he said.

"Can I see it?" Greg asked, eagerly. Micah obliged, pulling his pant leg up above his knee. Greg was fascinated

"That's cool!" Greg said, "Could you still hit it?" Micah and Fina exchanged another meaningful look, this time holding a conversation without words. Fina took the side of caution, worried that playing would set back his recovery. He, on the other hand, was anxious to get back to real life and his favorite sport. His lower lip slipped out from under his top lip. Fina rolled her eyes and looked to Hawkes for support.

"If he just stands to hit, and sits for the rest, he should be fine," the doctor said with a shrug. Micah smiled at his wife and kissed her cheek.

"Don't worry, Seraph," he said, "The first sign that something isn't right and I'll stop."

"Promise?" she asked.

"Promise," he repeated, sneaking a hand around to the back of her head and kissed her soundly. It was a tender kiss, without a hint of anything more, but it still left her breathless. She smiled up at him.

"Is that your way of trying to distract me?" she asked.

"Is it working?" he asked. Fina pulled away and tugged the Yankees cap from his back pocket.

"Not in the least," she said with a wink as she pulled her hair through the cap, "You're going down, Flack."

"Is that a little sass there, Mrs. Flack?" he asked.

"Not just a little," she admitted with flair.

"Alright you two, break it up," Danny said, "Bad enough that Flack's been reminding me every ten minutes that we're practically brothers without you two lovebirds rubbin' it in. Besides, I thought public flirting was 'so way, juvenile.'" Fina rolled her eyes.

The game was intense but fun. Greg's team, which consisted of every guy except Mac along with Eden, Therese Hawkes and Peyton, had a clear advantage. But Gracyn's team consisted of women who knew how to distract their husbands. Danny missed his best chance at a grand slam because of a wink from Lindsay, who was playing third base at the time. The sight of Fina in his favorite baseball cap was definitely distracting Micah, but the excitement of playing baseball in Central Park again was enough to keep him focused long enough to hit a homer. Greg, Micah's designated runner, gave a giant leap onto home plate as he finished the winning run. The ladies and Mac all strode in from the field. The rest of the day was sweet family time, and surprisingly, not a one of the law enforcement officers got called in.

The evening passed quickly and soon Micah and Fina were walking back to their car. He tried to act like his leg wasn't driving him crazy, but she saw right through him, and without a word, she sneaked under his shoulder to support him. He smiled gratefully down at her. They drove in silence, with her right hand tucked into his left.

--

_ Couldn't think of a good way to end this, so I just did. The wedding will be soon, promise, as will an explanation of what is happening with Danny, Lindsay and Anna and why they're moving to Montana. But they are moving._


	4. Chapter 4

The next three weeks seemed to fly by, and soon, Fina was standing in Central Park under an arch of white and red roses. Micah stood in front of her, his hands wrapped around hers, blue eyes gazing lovingly into her own, just as they had a year ago in front of a Justice of the Peace and the secretary and security guard who had functioned as their witnesses. Today they stood in the middle of their home city, surrounded by their family and friends, declaring that the love they'd pledged in the courthouse was still alive, committing themselves to each other for a lifetime. Tourists stopped and took photos, marveling at the beauty of the day and the ceremony. After their vows, Micah pulled her close for a sweet, tender kiss. She felt her feet begin to leave the ground and her heart began to soar. Slowly, cautiously, Micah turned her in a circle. Admittedly it wasn't the exuberant celebration that had marked their first kiss as husband and wife, but it was full of significance and hope.

The reception had been set out in a field nearby and was set to be a huge event. Fina was pretty sure that between them, their mothers had invited the entire NYPD. That was good, these men and women had worked hard. They deserved a break and if that meant sharing her wedding reception with all of New York, she was fine with that. The marriage was the important part anyway.

Fina dutifully made the rounds, speaking to various friends and acquaintances, Micah on her arm when he didn't feel like using his crutch, which was most of the time. Not that she really minded much.

Something along the edge of the party caught her eye. A running buddy of hers from the FBI had paused along the running trail. A German Shepherd lay at her feet, panting hard. It was clear from the clothes she wore that the woman had not been invited to the reception, in fact, not many of Fina's coworkers had. Whispering something to Micah, Fina made her way to the edge of the party.

"Hi, Amy," she greeted.

"Fina, congratulations!" Amy said, "I'd hug you, but I'm a bit sweaty." The dog at Amy's feet snuck closer to Fina, standing up cautiously and sniffing her hand.

"Kodiak, down," Amy ordered. The dog did as she was told and lay down on the ground, her nose now nearly touching the hem of Fina's dress. Her brown eyes looked up at Fina sorrowfully.

"She's favoring a leg," Fina observed.

"Yeah, she got shot a month ago, I'm trying to help her recover enough that she can go back to work, but that might not happen with my schedule," Amy said, "She's one of the best we have, but she needs little walks right now, 10, 20 minutes at the most, at least five of them. And with training the new dogs, I just don't have that kind of time." Kodiak snuck a little closer to Fina. The agent looked down at the dog, then up to her husband where he stood, talking to her brother.

"You know, Micah could help her," Fina offered, "He has to work up his endurance and it would help me not to worry about leaving him at home. I mean, I know he's a Marine, but he's still getting back on his feet and that's a wife's prerogative, right?"

Amy considered the idea. Kodiak, as if she understood the situation, looked back at Amy.

"Come pick her up when you get back from your honeymoon," Amy agreed with a smile. Fina crouched down as well as she could, to pat Kodiak on the head. Amy thanked her again and walked off with Kodiak. Fina jumped as Micah came up behind her.

"You ready to go?" he asked, snaking his arms around her waist. She leaned her head back against his shoulder and nodded, kissing his neck. He led her to the limo they had waiting. After a few minutes of maneuvering to get her dress to fit into the car, they were off, concerned with only themselves and their honeymoon.

--

Two days later, Micah and Fina joined Gio, Alex, Aiden, Danny and Lindsay in the living room of the family's home. Boxes were everywhere, some full and taped shut, others half empty, waiting to receive more of the family treasures. Some were still flat, their services as of yet uncalled for. Anna was upstairs, packing up the room she'd shared with Fina until the elder Messer moved out. Danny motioned to Micah to join him in the doorway. He did and Danny whispered something in his ear. The Marine nodded and crossed the room again, kissed Fina on the cheek and headed for the kitchen. Danny and Lindsay looked each of their older four children in the eyes before speaking.

"We want you all to know that we are so proud of you. You have all become such amazing adults and amazing officers of the law. We love you all so much," Lindsay opened, reaching for Danny's hand. Alex and Aiden scooted closer together while Gio placed a hand on Fina's knee.

"Your little sister has always been full of surprises," Lindsay continued, "from the moment we found out she was coming. After all, we had wait four years after Fina to have you two," she gestured to the twins. Everyone chuckled.

"We talked to a few people while we were in Montana, including a psychologist, and everyone there seemed to think that it would be a good idea for us to move Anna there for a while. We want for her to finish high school there. We're going to take jobs with the Bozeman Crime Lab. We start next month." Alex and Aiden were silent, but surprised. Gio and Fina each had advance warning, Gio from Mac and Fina from Eden.

"This would be a lot easier if at least one of you would look like you don't think we're abandoning you," Danny tried to joke. Fina managed a weak smile and rose to hug her parents.

"I love you, Angel Girl," Lindsay said, squeezing her daughter tightly, "Thank you for bringing her back."

"Com'ere, Fina Mac," Danny said, extending his arms. Fina breathed in the scent that was still her favorite in the whole word as she hugged him. Gio got up and followed his sister's lead. Alex and Aiden sat, stock still and stared at their parents. Finally, after a long moment, Alex stood up and ran from the room. Aiden stayed, shaking her head a little, biting her lower lip like she always had to gain control. Lindsay stood and walked over to her, taking the seat her twin had just vacated. Aiden kept her arms crossed as Lindsay wrapped her in a hug.

"Mom, I don't feel like talking about it right now," she said. Lindsay nodded and ran a hand down the side of Aiden's head, smoothing her hair.

"Okay, darling," she said. Danny spoke up.

"I know this has been rough, but I'm hungry, and I'm willing to bet that Gio and Micah are too. How's about we all go out for a big dinner tonight, our treat?" He offered his typical half grin and Fina nodded, leaving to get Micah. As they re-entered the living room, a fight broke out upstairs.

"I hope you're happy, Anna!" Alex's voice echoed downstairs, "Because you've ruined everything! Just like you always did, Tagalong!"

"It wasn't my idea, Allie," Anna pleaded, but Alexis was too angry to believe her. The two came into view at the top of the stairs, with Anna precariously close to the edge.

"Girls!" Danny called, "Knock it off! Get ready for dinner!" Alex turned, but not before pushing Anna just enough to throw her off balance. She teetered and slipped, miraculously throwing her weight forward to catch herself before she could tumble down the stairs.

"Alexis Grace Messer!" Lindsay yelled, "That is inappropriate behavior! You could have killed your sister!"

"Back off, Mom! If you don't care enough to stick around, you don't get to scold me!" she yelled. Anna looked crushed as Alex jumped over her, ran down the stairs and out the door. Lindsay made to run after her, but Aiden stopped her, and took off after her twin. Anna scrambled up the stairs to her room. This time it was Danny who moved to follow, but Fina stopped him.

"I need to do this, Dad," she said, "I told her some stuff when I found her and Alex just made me look like a liar." Danny nodded. Fina's heart grew heavier with each stair she climbed. She knocked gently on the door that, even now, bore her name above Anna's before pushing it open. The teenager was curled up on her bed, cradling a well-worn teddy bear, tears streaming down her cheeks. Fina sat down beside her sister and pulled her knees up to her chin.

"You lied to me," the accusation was half-hearted at best. Fina just nodded.

"I just can't seem to get anything right," Anna continued, "Everything I touch shatters and I've started touching the things that are most precious to me. I shouldn't have come back." Fina reached an arm around her sister.

"That's not true, Anna Bella," Fina whispered, "Not true at all. You know that Alex has a temper on her. She's had that from the time she was a little baby. She just externalizes all the anger that Aiden keeps inside." Immediately, Fina knew she'd said the wrong thing. But Anna seemed to take the misstep in stride, and actually giggled at Fina's woeful expression. Fina used the opportunity.

"Dad wants to take us out for dinner," she said, "If we don't get down there soon we'll be having steaks at a sports bar." Anna chuckled grimly.

"Maybe we could get the back room at Angelo's if we hurry," she suggested. The family owned restaurant was a Messer tradition for birthdays and holidays. The owner was the son of the baker and his wife who had known the children since birth.

"I like the way you think, Bella," Fina said, puling herself off of the bed, "Come on, let's go." Anna followed suit, heading to the bathroom to freshen up. Fina walked downstairs and leaned against her husband, who bent down for a kiss.

"She'll be down in a minute," Fina explained, "And we're thinking Angelo's for dinner. The group agreed and when Anna came down, they all headed out.

--

_Sorry that it has been a while. Life is crazy right now, but I think things are starting to settle into a routine so that's good._


	5. Chapter 5

By the time the group arrived at Angelo's, Anna was laughing happily at Gio's lame jokes, the events of the evening taking a back burner to the love of her family. Fina sighed contentedly and leaned up against Micah's shoulder, and she felt him wrap an arm around her back. She looked up at him adoringly and he met her gaze.

"What did you say to her?" he asked.

"Not much, really," Fina admitted, still unsure whether she'd actually made a difference, or whether Anna was just ready to move on. Micah stared down at his wife.

"What?" she asked, growing uncomfortable.

"You're beautiful," he said, leaning down to kiss her. She smiled and blushed, returning the kiss.

"Just rub it in, why doncha?" Gio joked, turning around to face them. Fina broke off the kiss and stuck her tongue out at her big bother, before turning back to her husband.

They walked into the restaurant and were greeted warmly by the waitress. The back room was occupied, but she led them to a large table in the back corner of the main dining room. The family took their seats, Gio and Anna took the two ends of the table, Danny sat next to Lindsay, his arm around the back of her chair, and the newlyweds practically shared a chair. They ordered their meals and drinks.

Laughter surrounded the table. They recalled moment after moment from family history, including the time that the twins had decided to be ballet dancers and had packed their bags, intent on walking to the dance school themselves when it had started pouring rain. Anna laughed and bit the right corner of her lower lip, considering.

"That makes Gio and Mom the only ones of us that never ran away or disappeared," she said. The look that passed between Danny, Gio and Fina was classic. Lindsay's face went from smiling to curious to a _tell-me-what's- going-on-Danny-Messer-or-sleep-on-the-couch-for-a-week_ stare. Danny swallowed hard and looked to Gio to begin.

"Dad," he protested, "I was eight years old!"

"Yeah and you dragged your sister along with you," Danny said.

"So," Lindsay asked, "My eight year old son _and_ my four year old daughter ran away from home and I didn't find out about it until nineteen years later?" Danny looked very sheepish.

"Mom, it was less than an hour," Fina reassured her, "We went to the park, Dad came and found us and we got a very stern talking to. That's actually the first time we met Casey and Eden." Lindsay immediately remembered the evening. She slapped Danny on the chest.

"You told me you were taking them out!" she exclaimed, "Alex and Aiden were extra fussy, so you said you'd take the older kids for a walk."

"Yeah, I might have said that after I walked into Gio's room and found the curtains blowing in the breeze," Danny admitted.

Lindsay shook her head at Danny's antics and kissed his cheek. The rest of the story, including how Fina had truly met Casey Harper was told.

"Now, my side," Casey said, approaching their table. Eden was with her as they took the two empty chars that had been waiting for Alex and Aiden. Fina looked uneasily at Anna, then watched the door with greater intensity. Three years as a missing persons agent had heightened her awareness of people and what upset them. She knew that if Alex and Aiden showed up and there weren't seats waiting for them, it wouldn't help the situation. Making a snap decision she rose and pulled two chairs from a nearby empty table, positioning them across from each other, one next to her parents and one next to her own seat.

"I'm sorry," Casey apologized, "You were probably expecting the twins."

"More like hoping," Lindsay admitted, "but I want to hear this story."

--

The Messers stayed at the restaurant until it closed, hoping that Alex and Aiden would wander through the doors. Casey and Eden left after a while, but their seats didn't stay empty for long.

"Daniel Messer!" a large, elderly Italian woman approached the table. "So good to see you and the bella Lindsay! And the bambini!" She patted Fina's cheek and pinched Gio's, drawing a laugh from Anna. The youngest Messer was instantly the recipient of a very effective glare. She clearly hadn't yet quite been forgiven for her extended absence and the strain it had put on the Italian baker's favorite family.

"But where are your gemelli?" she asked, looking around for the twins, "I wanted them to meet my grandson who just start here."

"They're running a little late," Fina offered, reaching for Micah's hand to steady herself as she lied for her family. He smiled down at her reassuringly and placed a gentle kiss on her temple.

The woman stayed and talked for a while, but soon, she too had to leave. The family slowly admitted that Alex and Aiden wouldn't be coming and stood, preparing to walk home. Micah helped Fina into her jacket then rested an arm around her shoulders. He picked up his cane with the other hand and the group set out on foot. Gio teased Anna and chased her a couple of blocks ahead giving Danny and Lindsay a few moments alone with their oldest daughter and son-in-law.

"Fi," Danny said, "we want you and Micah to stay in the house while we're gone. Actually, we want you to have the house for good." Fina was utterly speechless. She and Micah stared at each other.

"Dad, Mom, this is big, really big," Fina managed after a moment.

"Consider it our wedding present to you," Lindsay insisted.

"Thank you," Micah said for both of them. Fina reached up and laced her fingers with Micah's which still rested on her shoulder. The group was silent as they returned. Fina helped Micah up the steps. They stepped into the entry foyer with a new sense of wonder.

"Welcome Home, Mrs. Flack," he whispered in her ear. She chuckled.

"Welcome Home, Marine."

--

_So, I'm finishing this here, but look for some plot continuation in future chapters of __Sent Home From School._

_CATE  
_


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